Blinksportsnews247MESA, Arizona Héctor Neris recalls seeking advice from seasoned relievers in the beginning of his career. Neris is prepared to accept his role as a seasoned representative for the Cubs now that he has established himself as a leader in his own right and grown into one of baseball’s more resilient bullpen pitchers.
“I’m not the boss,” Neris declared. “I will merely attempt to provide assistance based on my observations, thoughts, and experiences.”
That was a component that Chicago’s relief corps lacked the previous season. The group lacked that seasoned player with a proven track record to guide them as they negotiated career-high workloads in a nail-biting chase for the postseason. The Cubs’ collapse in September was a factor in the team’s elimination from the postseason picture.
The North Siders are hopeful that the returning group of arms, who carried a huge load in 2023, will benefit from the lessons learnt from the last campaign. In addition to Neris’ ability as a late-inning reliever, the Cubs added him because of his leadership qualities following ten years of making appearances and managing crucial situations.
Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer stated, “That’s why we targeted him.” “Every reference we found on him said that he does offer stability and true leadership in the bullpen. It’s quite important that he has continued to pitch for seven months a year, year after year.
The three guys who emerged as the primary late-inning arms last season were Adbert Alzolay, Mark Leiter Jr., and Julian Merryweather. Along with sidearmer Jose Cuas, who was acquired by Kansas City during the Trade Deadline, all three pitchers set career highs in appearances. It was the first time that Alzolay and Leiter had worked only as relievers for an entire campaign. Merryweather finished with 72 innings after only accruing 52 2/3 in 2020–22.
Things were difficult towards the end because of ups and downs as well as some injury setbacks within the bullpen. With Neris, a tried-and-true veteran, along for the journey, it is hoped that the group as a whole would benefit from the experience.
“I accomplished something last year that I had never done before in my life. According to Alzolay, who took over the closer’s position last summer, “it was kind of crazy.” “Neris has made over seventy appearances in the last three years.” That’s something that will greatly assist us in managing, such as providing instructions on how to stay on the field for six months.
The 34-year-old right-hander Neris has not only played in at least 70 games in each of the previous three seasons, but he has also reached 70 appearances in five of the previous seven complete seasons (not counting the abbreviated 2020 campaign). Starting in 2019 (307 games) and going back to 2016 (513 games), the righty leads the Majors in appearances.
Neris has combined his robustness with equally impressive performances. The right-hander won a World Series with Houston in 2022 and had a 1.71 ERA in 71 games for the Astros the previous season. He also had 12 scoreless innings in 15 postseason games. Along with recording 65 saves from 2017 to 19, he left the Phillies with the franchise record for most strikeouts in a reliever’s career (520).
The fact that Hector has truly done it all is to his advantage, according to Cubs manager Craig Counsell. “Héctor has already done it, and I believe that will facilitate the process of explaining things to guys by putting his arm around them when things don’t go our way. He’s also more than capable of accomplishing that. Additionally, any reliever can learn from the way he does his duties.
One of the Cubs’ seasoned leaders in the room, starter Kyle Hendricks, has already observed an effect behind the scenes.
“Everyone in the bullpen is fired up,” Hendricks remarked. “Everyone in this room cheered when he entered, dude. In terms of personality alone, he is a cheerful, grin-wearing man. However, he’s one of those guys who affects the entire bullpen. He imparts knowledge to all. Everyone learns from him.
Neris is prepared to accept the task on behalf of the ballclub.
“Having a guy there is important,” Neris remarked. “There is no assurance that every day in the bullpen or during the season will be fantastic for you. You need someone who understands this to talk to you and try to help you realize how important the following day is when you’re having a horrible day.
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